Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP/REX/Shutterstock
When one of the elephants came bounding toward her, the first lady, dressed in pristine tan riding pants, boots and a white safari hat, appeared startled and jumped back before giving way to laughter.
But what seemed like a lighthearted moment to some was met with criticism from others who pointed to President Donald Trump’s controversial wildlife policies.
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Carolyn Kaster/AP/REX/Shutterstock
In July,HuffPostand other outlets reported that the Trump administration had granted38 permits to import lion trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambiasince 2016. The news came months after the Trump administration quietly began allowing more imports of lion and elephant trophies from several African nations.
While on safari Friday, Mrs. Trump rode around in open-air vehicle, taking photos on her iPhone and using binoculars to get a closer look at zebras, giraffes, impalas, rhinos and hippos.
She also visited a site where 105 tons of ivory was burned as part of a demonstration to discourage the trade.
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Also on Friday, the first lady visited an orphanage in Kenya, where children greeted her with singing and dancing and she sashayed along to the beat of African music.
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Mrs. Trump was met with criticism on Thursday when she arrived in Malawi to find a crowd of protestors, including two carrying a sign that read: “Welcome to Malawi #NOTASHITHOLE!”, according to the Associated Press. The hashtag was a reference to President Trump’s remarks in January in which he reportedly referred to some African nations, along with Haiti and El Salvador, as “shithole countries.”
The first lady, who began her African tour in Ghana on Tuesday, will continue on to Egypt before returning to Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
source: people.com
